Douluo Dalu 5: Rebirth Of Tang San

"I am human. No matter what kind of bloodline flows within me, I am still human. I grew up with my mother, and she always told me that we are human. I have witnessed too much human suffering. My purpose in becoming the lord of Kali City is to help our people, to give humans a space to survive, so they won't be slaves, servants, or even food anymore. So no, that will not happen. No matter what, I will never renounce my human bloodline."

In contrast with her earlier apprehension, her voice now was firm and unwavering, without a trace of hesitation.

The White Tiger Demon Emperor's gaze instantly turned cold as he said indifferently, "Then there's nothing more to discuss. If you're seeking death, no one can protect you."

Just as Mei Gongzi was about to say something, her hand was enveloped by a warm touch. The stubbornness in her heart suddenly felt supported, calming her emotions somewhat.

Holding her hand, Tang San said in a deep voice, "I understand Your Majesty's concerns, and I am very grateful for your understanding. But as Little Mei said, the blood of humans flows within us. We cannot stand by and watch our people forever be slaves and food. Someone has to resist. Even if we fail, we must try. Otherwise, the backbone of humanity will never straighten."

The White Tiger Demon Emperor looked at him with a chilling gaze. "You’re that Asura from before, aren’t you?"

Tang San nodded slightly.

The White Tiger Demon Emperor said indifferently, "Your aura has changed considerably; it seems you have made some progress. She has also become a god and she is much stronger. But you must understand that before the Emperors, your little bit of power is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. If the Ancestral Court deems it necessary, crushing you is as simple as squashing an ant. My warning is merely to tell you what you're up against. As for what you do, that's your own business. That's all!"

After speaking, he stood up.

"Your Majesty, please wait a moment." Tang San also stood up and called out to the White Tiger Demon Emperor, who was clearly about to leave.

The White Tiger Demon Emperor replied indifferently, "There is no point in discussing things further. You can’t carve rotten wood. What more is there to say?"

Tang San said in a deep voice, "What if we choose to trade? Could we gain your support?"

For the first time, the White Tiger Demon Emperor raised an eyebrow. "A trade? What do you have to offer that makes you qualified to trade with me? Kali City? I already have one main city, and the Ancestral Court would never allow me to control a second."

Tang San shook his head. "That is not what I meant."

"Besides Kali City, what other bargaining chips do you have? There aren't many things that could catch my eye."

Tang San pointed at the teleportation array on the ground beside them and said, "What about this? This is just a prototype. The finished array is capable of ultra-long-distance teleportation. With sufficient energy, it's even possible to travel from one end of the continent to the other in one jump."

The White Tiger Demon Emperor's pupils contracted slightly. He had actually been studying this array for some time now, and the more he studied, the more he could sense its profound intricacies. To his dismay, the array was so well protected that he couldn't fully decipher it; it was clear that any significant disturbance would cause the array to self-destruct. This was a great regret for the White Tiger Demon Emperor. If he hadn't been constantly researching the array and placing such importance on this location, he wouldn't have rushed over the moment Mei Gongzi and Tang San arrived.

However, after pondering for a moment, he shook his head and said, "Not enough. You must understand that what you are trying to do is an almost impossible task. You can’t pay me enough to get me to do something this meaningless. "

Tang San thought for a moment, then heaved a sigh. "Well then… How about this?"

As he spoke, he rose from the couch and deactivated the Discerning Eye of Heaven that he had been using to conceal his aura, releasing the fluctuations of his bloodline.

Immediately, two beams of light burst from the White Tiger Demon Emperor's eyes, and in the next instant, his palm flew at Tang San.

Mei Gongzi was startled, crying out in alarm and about to rush forward, but Tang San raised his hand, signaling for her to stay there.

Thud!

The White Tiger Demon Emperor's palm struck Tang San's chest, but it did not exert any force. He simply rested his broad hand there. Then, in an instant, the expression on the Demon Emperor's face changed dramatically, a look of shock filling his eyes. He gazed at Tang San with a hint of disbelief.

"No, this is impossible. Even we couldn't achieve this. Nobody ever has. How did you do it?" The White Tiger Demon Emperor's voice was unusually high-pitched, an undisguisable hint of his deep shock.

"Is this enough to earn Your Majesty's support?"

The White Tiger Demon Emperor took a deep breath and returned to sit on the sofa.

Tang San also led Mei Gongzi back to the sofa to sit down.

What he had the White Tiger Demon Emperor sense was simple—it was the aura of his Golden Armor Transformation.

As an Emperor, the White Tiger Demon Emperor immediately understood what it was when he sensed the energy fluctuations. Even the Peacock Great Demon King hadn't truly perceived it back then; he didn’t have a good understanding of these things, and his cultivation simply wasn't high enough. But for an Emperor, this couldn’t be any clearer. It was something they had always sought: the key to advancing to an even higher level!

Bloodlines were the foundation of both the demon and nymph races; the strength of one's bloodline determined their potential and future.

The upper limit of cultivation was the twelfth order, the Emperor level, but even that level was still within the confines of bloodline power. To become an Emperor was to excavate every single bit of potential within a powerful first-tier bloodline and thus reach the twelfth order.

But Emperors had existed for tens of thousands of years on the Daemon Continent. And throughout many generations, they had been researching one question: was there a higher level to be reached? And if there was, how could that level be reached?

After millennia of research and failed attempts, the Emperors of the Ancestral Court had come to a consensus regarding this. First, there was most certainly a level beyond the twelfth order. The more powerful the Emperor, the stronger their sense of this, and the more certain they were of it. Second, to touch this higher level, not one single bloodline on the entire Daemon Continent had sufficient power. They had to develop stronger bloodlines.

Because of this, countless Emperors poured their hearts and souls into research. Some exceptionally powerful Emperors even died from bloodline backlash during their studies. As time passed, research in this area gradually declined because they could vaguely sense that there seemed to be an invisible hand in the world suppressing them, preventing them from stepping onto another level.

For the exact same reason, there could only be a set number of Emperors at any given time. If more Great Demon Kings or Great Nymph Kings tried to break through, they would be suppressed by this invisible force, and the inevitable result was death.

Yet at this very moment, when the White Tiger Demon Emperor sensed the aura of the Golden Armor Transformation bloodline within Tang San, he was utterly stupefied. He was absolutely certain that this level of strength went far beyond any first-tier bloodline.

With his strength, how could he not see that Tang San had not yet reached the tenth order? And for someone who was not a god to have bloodline power of such intensity was not just incredible; it was simply impossible. Yet the truth was right before his eyes, leaving him with no choice but to believe it. That was why he had placed his hand directly on Tang San—he had to feel the strength of this bloodline directly.

And with that, it was confirmed.

Although he knew this might not be useful to him, at the very least, it was an opportunity! As an Emperor, and a veteran one at that, nothing was more enticing to him than the possibility of advancing further. Perhaps, by advancing further, he could break free from the suppression of this world!

Within moments, the way the White Tiger Demon Emperor looked at Tang San had changed entirely.

"How did you do it?" he asked in a deep voice.